Island Paradise Day 7

I thought being out here on the boat access only south shore of Utila would be a bit boring, and maybe that will happen eventually, but so far our days seem very full. By the time we have our coffee and head out for our morning walk, it is usually around 10am, and inevitably on our walk, we bump into people that seem as eager for company as us. So the “morning” walk turns into half a day, and by the time we get home it is well past lunch and time for snorkeling.

This morning we met a Canadian couple from Princeton. They giggled when we told them we were from Oliver. Small world. The just took possession of their home on Treasure Beach (not far from my original lot). They are brave – sold everything back home after only one quick visit here, and they are here to stay full time with no knowledge or experience about tropical living. Hope they like bugs! Today I was sitting on the toilet and a HUGE cockroach scurried out from under my feet! I just about peed myself - actually, I guess that would have been fine since I was on the toilet...Steph went in search of him to declare war, but could not find him.

On our way home from our walk we stopped on the dock near another couple we have met. They also live here full time, but they decided to rent instead of buy. They have a cute little 1 bedoom house on the beach which they rent for $1000 US/month! They came out and greeted us and we all had a swim together. The reef there is quite different than here and we saw an amazing array of fish – including the elusive Rainbow Parrot fish.
When we got home the water was amazing and calm again, so our afternoon snorkel was a great respite from the heat. Just as we were swimming away from our dock to head out to the reef, Steph squealed and pointed, and right below us was a gorgeous Eagle Ray! At that exact moment I squealed and pointed as a second ray swam right by Stephane just to his left, out of his feild of view. I grabbed his hand and we swam together following the lower ray – being sure to stay back out of the reach of his long tail. Eagle rays swim – like an eagle flies - and that is just what he did. He flew up and away from us, then back and around – almost as though he was circling us! It was SOOOOO beautiful! I feel like I am living in a National Geographic magazine. Truly!


After snorkeling I always feel quite exhausted. I think the constant flapping of the legs and arms is better exercise than I realized…and since I have yet to take the yoga mats out of the bag they arrived in I guess that is a good thing.

Last night we had dinner at the neighbours. They are a couple from Alaska that have lived here full time for five years. They have a lovely home with solar power – a real bonus as electricity is so expensive here. We ate grilled Filet Mignon, baked potatoes and some delicious cauliflower side dish. It was amazing, topped with bacon and cheese and grilled peppers and onions. YUM! After supper they asked Steph and I if we would play some music, so we played and sang and a good time was had by all. We have been welcomed here by our neighbours and are invited to a beach party on Thursday...rumour has it Mountainview Drive (our band name back home)will be performing...

Island Paradise Day 6

“Why is everything so #4%*@#$ hard here!?“

This comment from the guy who a day ago was so enamored with the crystal clear waters of Utila that he was ready to sell all and never leave!

Until you spend a lot of time in the developing world, doing real life, day to day things, you have no comprehension of hard things can be. Take our credit card fraud for example: First of all, we had to call the credit card company. Easy right? Nope. We do not get cell phone reception here in the house…only about twenty meters down the beach with the local phone the property managers gave us. But that phone cannot call Canada. So we tried our internet phone, but it kept cutting in and out due to the signal not being so strong. So it was an extremely frustrating call to say the least. Then the credit card company said, “no problem, just give us an address and we will have new cards couriered.” Easy, right? Nope. There are no addresses here, and certainly no courier service. Not even in Utila town. There is no such thing as a mailbox, or an address of any kind. If we want our new cards sent to us, we have to have them sent to the FedX office in La Ceiba, Honduras – on the mainland. They will receive them, and then when they have enough stuff to make it worth sending over on the ferry (could be weeks) they will send it in a taxi to the ferry. Someone will put it on the ferry and send it to Utila where the ferry company will lock it up until we go claim it.

Something else I took for granted was fish. I thought being on the island would be wonderful – fresh fish every day! The small Cay off the southwest end of the island is settled by fishermen.

I heard that the little Cay catches almost all of the fish sent to Red Lobster restaurants in North America. So I had visions of fresh lobster, crab, snapper and grouper; big fillets of Mahi Mahi and fresh tuna steaks. Not so much. In fact, we have yet to find a fish for sale. Apparently it is too warm at this time of year and the fish go deeper in search of cooler water. So, it is slim pickings for fish these days – and if you can find it, it is expensive. So chicken it is - again! Sigh.

We take so many modern conveniences for granted. Another thing we take for granted back home is water.

Here on Utila, although it rains a lot, there is limited fresh water. The island does not have underground streams to draw from: only an aquifer that relies solely on rain to be refilled. Most expat houses here have no access to this aquifer if they are not on the town water system, so they have to have large cisterns with 10,000 – 20,000 gallon capacity. They collect the rain water off the roof, and store it. While it fills full in the winter months when it rains a lot, it can easily run dry in the summer. At that point, people have to buy water off of the few that have access to wells that tap in to the aquafer. Utilians complain that when the tourists come they use so much water that it literally endangers the supply and some development is being stopped out of concern for the water supply.

It is suggested if you live here:
• Only flush when absolutely necessary
• Reuse sinks of dishwater to wash other things
• Get wet in the shower, then turn it off to lather and wash, then rinse
• Never wash cars, decks, etc
• Only water essential plants
• Reconsider pools and bathtubs – they are an indulgence

Life can have its inconveniences and difficulties here - that is for sure, but every times we look out the window, we seem to forget.

Island Paradise Day 5

Day five of island paradise saw us standing on the dock at 7:45 flagging down our “taxi” – a panga driven by an old Islander named Cooper.

The boat was already full of people from the Cay heading into town for work. We squeezed in and off we went bumping over the swells, sending espuma high into the air. I had to hang on tight, as the ride was bumpy. There were, of course, no life vests, rails to hang onto, or other such civilized things, and while bouncing along – not too far from shore, I tried to imagine how strong of a swimmer I would need to be to get into shore if the boat capsized.

These guys, however, have driven these boats all their lives. They know the currents, they know the reefs, and they know how to navigate the waves at this time of year, so I really was not too concerned, and was happy for not having to walk! On the boat we sat across from two young blonde women. We assumed they were tourists, on the south shore for diving, but when the boat stopped, and the girls got off and spoke to Cooper, we were stunned to hear an unintelligible Creole come out of their mouths.

Many of the islanders are descended from the original Caribs who had inhabited the islands here since 1200 AD. When the British conquered St. Vincent they separated the more Black looking Caribs from the more American looking Caribs, and exiled them. These Free Blacks, called the Garifuna, came to Roatan. They are very black, and continue to live in small groups throughout the islands and mainland Honduras and Belize, and they have a distinct culture and they are incredibly proud of having never been enslaved.

Meanwhile, the more white looking Caribs, over hundreds of years, intermingled with the British, and now after three hundred years, what you have are very Caucasian looking islanders with curly blonde hair and other distinct Carib features, that speak Creole - the original slave language. So on the islands here you have white islanders, black islanders , Garifuna islanders,, expat islanders, and Honduran mainlanders. We have been told that in Utila you should speak English first so as not to offend the "true islanders" and only if they don't understand do you then you speak Spanish. This is because the "islanders (both black and white - ever proud of having never been slaves) do not want to be confused with the Spanish speaking "mainlanders," who are on the islands to do "service" work.

We spent the day looking at more houses, only this time on the other side of the lagoon – on the east end of the island, so all these properties had road access to town.

There certainly are a lot more houses on the water than when I was here 11 years ago. What is amazing is how many of them are sitting empty. Some houses were built 11 years ago on spec, and still sit unsold. Most others are occupied only for a few months a year. Prices on the town side of the island range from small island houses in town from $65,000 up to large, beautiful homes on the ocean for just over $300,000. These pics are of the inside and outside of a house built years ago (on spec) that never sold. It sits empty most of the time...maybe they would consider a long term tenant???

If you are curious - check out this MLS link and see some of the properties.

After house hunting, we had lunch at the home of our realtor, and then headed to the butcher shop to get some pork chops. We bought frozen chops as it would be a long trek home. Fortunately it was late in the afternoon, so the hot sun had already dipped behind the forest of trees. I was anxious to get back before dark. The idea of walking in the dark here is just too creepy: too many bugs and snakes and crabs.

When we got home from house shopping, we both had numerous welts on our bodies from various bugs and were too tired to cook. We find our appetites are somewhat suppressed in this heat and humidity. So after a bowl of cereal and half a pineapple, I checked my mail, only to discover Stephane’s credit card had been hacked, and someone was currently having a delightful time online buying clothes and shoes in Spain!

Island Paradise Day 5

If yesterday’s talk of bugs, bats and crabs was enough to make you want to skip the island paradise retirement option, today was indeed one of those days that bests describes all that is wonderful here, and why so many people come here and never leave.

Today after we went out by boat to look at a few properties (more on those later), when we got home, the sea in our cove was as still as a lake. No waves. No noise. The clear water was visible for probably 80 feet down! We quickly put on our snorkel gear and headed out.

All I can say is Wow. It was stunning. It was surreal. It was breathtaking.

The picture to the left is from my neighbour's Facebook page, and it depicts very well the reef, and how the clear turquoise water forms pathways through the reef from the beach out to where it comes to an abrupt cliff about 50 feet off shore.

As we headed out to the "wall" we slowly passed over various types of coral. There were not a lot of fish there, but then we we got to the cliff where the reef drops, suddenly we were staring down at a forest of coral: a million shades of green, yellow and purple all slowly waving in the sea currents. At the face of the reef cliff the depth drops and becomes a stunning wall of life sided by the most brilliant bright royal blue water. The sun rays shining down through the water made it appear as though the sunbeams were coming from the bottom of the sea. It was truly mesmerizing. There were schools of brilliant blue fish, yellow and black, pink and purple. Some small, some large, and at one point a large stingray slowly glided beneath me.

If you dive there (and three people were while we snorkeled above them - our bellies tickled by their bubbles) you can apparently see Seahorses, tiny Pipe Horses, Upside-down jelly fish and a variation of different reef fish. The whole experience was really quite surreal. We truly are in a great location. People pay a lot of money to hire a boat and come out here to snorkel and dive, and all we need to do is walk fifteen feet from our front door and start snorkeling.

Later, as I rested on the dock in the warm sun Steph floated on the air mattress and he just kept saying over and over, “I cannot believe I am here. This is the most amazing place I have ever been.”

Did I mention we have a spare bedroom??

Island Paradise Day 4

Bugs: You have to love bugs if you want to live in the tropics. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. OK, maybe you don’t have to love them, but you need to be able to tolerate them. There are bugs everywhere: Big bugs, little bugs, flying bugs, crawling bugs. Back home when you garden, there are always little critters you have to watch out for. In Oliver, for example, the ants are horrible. They get onto your fruit trees where the farm aphids. It’s quite gross, and they are really hard to combat. Well here, you can times the bug thing by a bugzillion!

There are pretty neat looking termite nests in many of the trees around here, so I am not sure why so many of them have taken up residence in our lovely cottage.

Steph spends a good deal of time smashing termites with his shoe. I just ignore them because hey – they eat houses not people. Such is not the case with sand fleas. We have tried to be diligent about keeping DEET on us, but today I forgot and walked to go for a swim, and I am now the proud owners of a few good welts on my ankle. Apparently August and September are the real buggy season here. It gets hot and humid and the trade winds stop blowing so the bugs are much worse. Many people leave the island at that time. We will also be leaving the island before then.

Yesterday when I was taking a tour of my neighbours back yard, she showed me a papaya tree where all the leaves had been nibbled off by the bats. I told her that bats were great because they eat bugs, but apparently these bats don’t…just papaya! And these fruit bats are huge. I saw one trying to get up into the eaves and I thought it was a black bird! She said they make a real mess because they love to nest there and they poop a lot – usually covering the side of your house or deck. And they are next to impossible to get rid of, so like the bugs, one must embrace the bats.

By now you might be thinking eeew…but it gets worse…

There are these really creepy land crabs here. And in the tropics, gardeners have to go to all kinds of measures to keep them out of the garden. They will crawl up plants and bushes and literally destroy them. She uses upside down empty tequila bottles to create a slippery glass raised garden bed, and the crabs cannot climb up the glass. Ingenious! (Not to mention you get to drink a lot of tequila under the guise of gardening!)As for me - like I did with the garden snails back home, I will figure out a way to catch them, feed them cornmeal until they poop white, and then eat them!

No discussion about island living in the tropics would be complete without you knowing that houses on the beach (and many in town too) do not have septic systems that can manage toilet paper, so all used paper has to go in the trash to be later burned with all the other garbage that cannot be recycled.

And last but not least, when writing about all things ikky, I would be remiss to not mention the pathetic state of vegetables in this place. Being an island, not much grows here, and most things must be shipped in from the mainland; and that only happens on certain days. So what happens is you have a stampede of people hitting the stores the hour the stuff arrives, so that by the time the poor suckers like me arrive, the carrots are flexible, the spinach is, well, it’s hard to describe spinach that has been out in the heat for 4 days, and if you are willing to fight for it, you might get yourself a bundle of yellowing broccoli complete with small green worms.

Of course all of these annoyances are clealy worth it for many people. Falling asleep to the sound of crashing waves and waking up to the aquamarine water outside is pretty marvelous. I came here with my eyes wide open, and having had a fair bit of experience in the tropics I knew what we were getting in to. The verdict is out for Steph on whether or not all of the hardships will be outweighed by the sheer beauty and tranquility of Utila. There is not a day go by he does not say, “I can’t believe I am living here!”

Island Paradise Day 3

Sleeping here in paradise has taken a bit of getting used to: besides the heat (more on that later), the humidity, and the ROAR of the ocean, we have special netting around our bed to keep out bugs (sand fleas here are notorious, and no-see-ums are so tiny they get through regular screens). Netting on a bed is not generally a problem - and quite romantic - but not so much if you get up to pee ten times a night...then they are just, well, a pain in the butt! Last night, as we were tucking in the edges of our netting when Steph spotted a ginormous spider on the wall next to our bed.

OK, I admit that spider does not look very big (can you see it up there near the ceiling by the beam???)...but that is a high ceiling, so it is really far away...really! Well at least it SEEMED bigger last night. Anyway...there was some debate about by whom and how this monster should be killed - but ultimately my husband stepped up. Now before you think that he is so brave - he is not. It is usually me who does the bug killing...Steph is a bit of a woos when it comes to spiders...but this spider was simply too high for me to reach! Truly. Anyway, there he was in his blue undies with a big brown shoe in his hand, balancing on the edge of the bed while I tilted the stand up lamp in his direction so we could monitor where the creature fell. It really was quite funny - especially when the shoe hit, then dropped, and Stephane screamed and we both ran for the kitchen! I actually have it on video, but the internet is not good enough here to upload it so you can't all mock us and giggle at my hubby in his skivvies!!

Today we headed down the beach in the other direction – away from town. It really is quite lovely. Unlike the beaches on the west coast of Mexico, there are a lot of trees, and many shady groves along the way.

So just about the time you think you cannot take the heat, you either enter a lovely treed area - which is about 10 degrees cooler than on the beach, or you come upon a lovely little area of sandy beach where the water is accessible and we could go in for a swim. It is funny, because when you come from Canada, you are all about the going south to find the sun! The idea of building in the shade is an abomination. But let me tell you, when you experience the tropics month in and month out, and you are here for more than week or two, and you have to pay for electricity which is .50 cents a kilowatt hour - you start to appreciate the benefits of having a home tucked back in the trees where you are shaded from the sun and can save on air conditioning.

There were many new homes being built along the south shore, but none of the areas were as nice as where we are. By the time we got to the end there was quite an established area of houses and docks – we had reached Treasure Beach - where I had tried to buy a lot 11 years ago. And guess what? The lot was still there! Undeveloped. All around it were beautiful new homes, but my lot was still there...complete with large tree - perfect for a tree house! (as an aside...it just goes to show you how stupid I was, and WHY you should spend time in a place for awhile before buying...it turns out the tree on that lot is the type of tree here that is considered a nuisance. They are dangerous and their branches snap off for no reason and can cause damage. The Honduran government wants you to cut them down! So much for my stupid tree house idea!)

I don't really like that area now and I would not buy there now – so I am kinda glad my deal fell apart back then. Another good reason for not buying on a whim in an area you don't really know.

We had been walking for at least an hour and we were incredibly hot, and having not thought to bring any water, we were truly parched. There are no stores on the south shore, and very few people, so stopping for a beer was not an option. Fortunately we came upon a gentleman cleaning a pool in front of his property. He had a beautiful home with a beach front pool, and he is one of the few people that live here full time. I marched right up and started talking to him – knowing by now that with so few people living on this south shore, anybody who was there was likely as starved for company as I was. Sure enough, as expected, “Tom” immediately jumped into conversation with us, and was not at all offended when I asked for some water. We ended up visiting for quite some time, and he gave us some useful information about how to get by living on the south shore.

We now know that if we go stand on our dock at 8 am in the morning, and put our hand in the air as the boat guy from the nearby cay drives by, he will stop and pick us up for 50 Limpira per person (about $2) and take us to Utila Town, and then he comes back at 11:30 - giving us enough time in town to buy food (and beer). And if we tell the people who live on the cay that we want to buy fish, they will start dropping by a few times a week with fresh caught fish for us to buy. So now, instead of walking to town, catching a ferry, and then walking again to a store that sells bad meat and fermented bananas, we can get fresh caught seafood off the end of our dock. Does life get much better than that?

We also went snorkeling today for the first time right off the end of the dock. We were not out long when I got caught up in some sort of current, and found it difficult to get out of. I panicked a bit, and had to swim hard – harder I think than I have ever swum before, and the harder I breathed, the less air I felt I had. I have one of those new full face snorkel masks (they are amazing), but if you breath too hard, or start to hyperventilate – they can be a problem. It was a bit scary, but I finally broke free of the current and made it back to the dock gasping and shaking and decided perhaps buying some fins was in order. And since the trade winds usually pick up in the afternoon, I will limit my snorkeling to the mornings when the water is calmer.

We also met our neighbours today, a couple from Alaska who moved here five years ago. They are the only people on this whole stretch of beach that live here full time. We spent a long time visiting with them and they showed us their beautiful property, and I was excited to see that you can actually grow things on the beach. Behind their house she had lime trees, papaya, pineapple, orange, and almond trees! She uses seaweed for mulch and composts all the dead leaves. It truly was an island paradise they have created. They gave us a pair of fins to use for snorkeling (as she also got caught in the current today) and invited us in for wine. We enjoyed our visit so much we ended up staying for supper. It was a delightful evening full of fun stories.

Hospitality abounds in areas where there are few people. It reminds me a bit of stories of the old west when people came across the prairies. Community was cherished and neighbours helped each other out. People depend on each other here – because they have to.. There is no room for narcissism. The south shore is a bit like the Wild West. You are on your own. In the rainy season, it can be days or weeks before you can get to town due to the 3 foot deep mud. In the summer, it can be days or weeks before you can boat in due to the strong trade winds. It is something to think about. I would hate to be out here if someone had a heart attack…

Tomorrow we are heading out with our realtor to see what $250,000 buys on this wonderful island paradise. Stay tuned!

Island Paradise Day 2

One of the most amazing things about living somewhere remote like this is that there are no roads, no cars, not traffic, no people, no busses, and no taxis. What this means is no noise (except the sound of water lapping against the shore). One of the worst things about living somewhere remote like this is there are no roads, no cars, not traffic, no people, no busses, and no taxis. So when you do something stupid like leave your pillow at the hotel in Utila town, it is a really big deal!

So our second day of paradise began with a long walk along the beach towards town. There is a path of sorts that runs all along the south shore, and it was lovely to see the various coves and other properties built along the way.

Unfortunately there were no pit stops with bathrooms, so today I got to enjoy my first tropical pee in the woods. I felt pretty good about it at the time, but after discovering there are plenty of large snakes on the island, I was thinking that maybe a snake bite on the butt would not be cool. Anyway, it was a lovely walk. What was not pleasant was to see how much garbage – mostly plastic – has been swept ashore.

I am sure you are all aware of the problem of single use plastics and how they are a serious problem in the world’s oceans. There is literally an island of plastic the size of two Texases floating around out there. (It took me longer than I care to admit to decide how to pluralize Texas!) Here on Utila, it is hard to not be aware of the issue. Many restaurants here have banned the use of straws, and they now use stainless steel straws. But, cleaning up the existing mess, and weaning people off their water and pop bottles is a bigger challenge. And while we of the developed world can all do our part and stop buying and using single use plastic, the truth of the matter is, the bottles laying on the beach in Utila are not coming from Grande Prairie, Alberta or Boulder, Colorado. They are washing into the oceans from rivers being polluted inland in developing countries where there are lower levels of education and little to no infrastructure for garbage collection. It is not going to be any easy fix.

And by the way, you certainly are not likely to see the garbage when looking at lots for sale or vacation properties. Often the "reality" is hidden from people. Where we are living there is a man named Mario and his wife and daughter who live behind the property. Each day he goes out in front of our house and cleans up the plastic and burns it.

And while everyone is probably aware of the plastic problem - no one seems to be talking about the shoe problem. Besides the tons (literally) of plastic, there were thousands of shoes on the beach. Shoes of every shape, size and colour! Flip flops, sandals, sneakers, hiking boots, high heels - you name it. At first it grossed me out, but them my sandal broke and I found myself sifting through the piles looking for a size 7 right foot. Thousands of shoes and not a single right foot. Seriously, they were all lefts! Now THAT'S creepy.

After our walk down the beach we came to a lagoon which virtually cuts off the south shore from Utila Town. Fortunately there is a small boat there that can ferry you across for the price of two cold beers - which at that point was well needed because shoe shopping in the sun is thirsty work!

After the ferry ride comes another 20 minute walk into town where I was able to retrieve my pillow and two yoga mats. Come on, you can’t tell me that your tropical island dream does not include standing on the beach in your lulu lemons kissing your ankles! Well, whatever, mine does!

While going to town was quite a journey, it was also a great opportunity to pick up the bag of bananas and pineapple I left on the chair in the grocery store yesterday. And, yes, it was still there. The bananas were black and fermented and covered in fruit flies, but they were still there. So we packed them up in Steph’s knapsack, put the pillow and the matts in a bag, and headed back to the ferry…which naturally has just left…so, two more beers, another hour, and we were back on the right side of the lagoon and walking the miles back down the beach in the heat of the day with banana booze beginning to leak down Stephane's back!

Upon arrival back home, we were greeted by some strange guests: A small brown dog who is pretty sure she lives here

and has been sleeping on the porch by the door for several hours, and an army of ants. Not a few ants. AN ARMY OF ANTS! There were NO ants yesterday, but today, OMG! So before we could start drinking the bananas we had a small war to fight. Stephane won, of course, but not before emptying two cans of some toxic spray into our house, and half a bottle of bleach. It took an hour, but we are now ant free, and back staring out our window at the beautiful view, enjoying some unique banana brandy! Cheers!

Island Paradise Day 1

We have finally arrived on Utila, and I say finally, because it is not the easiest of places to get to. There are several different ways you can come, all of which involve some combination of buses or planes, then little planes, and then littler planes (or a ferry).

We were already on the east coast of Mexico, so we took a bus to Belize City (comfortable and uneventful), then overnighted there before taking a Tropic Air flight from Belize to Roatan. Belize City is not exactly beautiful - in fact, there really is nothing there worth seeing. So I will not bore you with details of our worse than mediocre B&B and our less than pleasant stroll around town. (Though I did see the most amazing dreadlocks of my life on a old guy whose dreads hung down to his knees!)

The Tropic Air flight was great – a small plane with only four of us on it (not counting the three pilots). The Caribbean Sea looked magnificent from above. I tried to take some photos, but unfortunately they did not begin to capture the colour and beauty that was.

After arriving, we also had to overnight in Roatan, as the ferry to Utila leaves there only once a day at 2pm. I have been to Roatan before, so we had no desire to stay there longer, but for anyone making the journey to Utila, it is worth it to stay a few days and enjoy that island as well. The two island are quite different - each with their own vibe and look.

The next day we took a catamaran ferry (large and fast) to Utila town. Even though the water was quite rough, the ferry was smooth and comfortable.

I will talk about Utila Town more in another blog post - as we will surely spend some time there. We decided to overnight there before heading out as the trade winds at this time of year make the water quite rough in the afternoons, and since we arrived around 3:30pm, we thought it best to wait until morning before buying groceries and heading out in a small boat to our island paradise called Big Rock Cabana.

The 3 days of travel to get here were worth it!

Our little cabin on the beach is much nicer and larger than we expected – despite the copious amounts of gecko poo on every surface. There are two sizable bedrooms each with its own ensuite, a cozy living room, and a large screened porch that lets in the ocean breezes but keeps out the bugs (but apparently not the geckos).

The water is stunning, nicer than I remember - and we have 362 feet of deserted beach all to ourselves.

The Eastern Trade winds blow in and keep things relatively cool, and the sound of the waves is more than delightful – it is simply mesmerizing. (Steph is enjoying the constant sound of the waves because it drowns out my constant chatter!)

The views can also be enjoyed from a large two story cabana on the end of the long dock. The cabana has chairs and hammocks that make for a comfy place to read or snooze, and the water all around is warm and clear. Just out from the dock is some of the best snorkeling and diving in the world. We are looking forward to snorkeling, and Steph has hinted that maybe he will try diving.

This trip to Utila is not about travel or vacation. As you know I have done lots of that. The purpose of this trip was to see how "the dream" of living on a tropical island compares to "the reality." I am truly curious, and so we decided that rather than dream and wish we could do it, we would just do it, and see if it is all it is cracked up to be in our imaginations.

We will be here at least 2 months - maybe longer, and plan on blogging daily about our experiences. So follow along and you too can live the dream – if only vicariously!

Mas manana!

Reality Check

I was just reading a blog post I wrote in 2007 about the island of Utila. I was on the first of three trips I have taken around the world, and I was absolutely enamored with the small Island of Utila.

Utila is one of several small islands of the coast of Honduras and is part of what is called the Bay Islands. You may have heard of Roatan, which is the largest of those islands. The Bay Islands sit alongside part of the Mesoamerican reef – the second largest barrier reef – and it is home to some of the best snorkeling and diving in the world.

When I arrived on the island I instantly fell in love. There was a vibe there that to this day I have a hard time describing. I am not sure if the experience I had there was simply because it was my first such experience in the Caribbean, or if it was because of the place I was at in my life. I only know that it is important for me to go back there and stay awhile – if only to rule it out as a possible forever home. I say that because at the time of my first visit I was absolutely convinced that buying real estate in Utila was a great investment. Here’s what I wrote in my blog of November 2007:

“I am convinced Utila is an investors dream, and I am in the process of buying property. I grabbed one of three beach front properties left in a well planned community on the South Reef where some of the best diving and fishing in the world is, as well as the nicest sand and water on the entire island. My 90 x 200 foot serviced oceanfront lot was only $165,000. It has a variety of beautiful trees on it, and a flat, sandy beach. The water is a stunning turquoise (the nicest I have seen and I have snorkeled and swum in waters in Dominican Republic, Hawaii, Mexico, Roatan, and the Florida Keys) with 100 foot visibility straight down, no waves, breathtaking coral reef. The water in front of my lot is as gentle for swimming as a baby would want. There is a view of the sunrise and sunset from this point, it captures the much needed eastern trade winds, and has a quality deep water dock. The village across the water, about a half kilometer away, is on a small cay of native islanders who supply Red Lobster with all its fish. There are places to buy fresh fish daily, and veggies and fruit and various supplies are brought in daily from the mainland. There is even a brand new 3 story internet cafe a short sea kayak ride away.” You can read the entire blog post, along with dozens of other posts from around the world here.

If you follow economics and real estate you will know that soon after that post in 2007 the stock market crashed, and over the course of the next three or four years real estate throughout North and Central America took a nose dive. Prices dropped by almost 50% in many areas, and are only now recovered back to their previous high levels. It just goes to show you, regardless of what any realtor or investor (including me) says, there is no guarantee when you buy investments. I was soooooo convinced I would make some money buying in Utila. In fairness, people buying real estate in 2007 in Calgary or Toronto also lost money over the next number of years, so the problem was not Utila - it was simply the usual cycle of up and down. Timing in real estate is everything, just like in the stock market. Buy low sell high is always the ideal, but it is easier said than done. I was lucky in a way, because as it turned out, the lot I bought in 2007 was in a development that did not approve my building plans, and my offer was conditional of their approval. Here’s what I wrote in my blog back then:

“On my lot I will be building a beach cabana with outdoor kitchen, a large air-conditioned tree house with master bedroom and bathroom, a guest hut, and an outdoor bathroom. These structures (except the cabana) will all be easily removed if/when I want to build a permanent home on the lot, but will allow me to immediately use the property as a vacation rental (both for myself and others). Rental properties are in high demand here, as divers come here to get there master diver tickets and stay 3-6months.”

In just over a week Stephane and I will head to Utila. Like many people, we have had the romantic dream of living on a tropical island where there is nothing to do all day but listen to the crashing of waves. This is our chance, once and for all, to embrace that to see if it really is all it is cracked up to be. So if you too have had the dream and want to compare it to reality, follow me on Twitter at @twostarretiremt where I will be updating daily.

We will be staying in a house just down the beach from the lot I tried to buy ten years ago and we have committed to staying there a minimum of two months: long enough to see the good, the bad, and the ugly of secluded ocean front living. It is a 2 bedroom house with a long dock going into the water. At the end of the dock is a 2 story cabana for afternoon naps. You can dive off the end of the dock and be snorkeling the amazing reef which is visited regularily by dozens of tropical fish, rays, sharks, and dolphins. We will be living in a National Geographic magazine! Here's a great picture of our dock:

We will be quite alone there – no close neighbours: only some nesting turtles and thousands of crabs. There are no roads, no street lights, and it is accessible by boat only. Stephane is insisting he buy a Wilson volleyball as we will be living our very own version of Castaway.

Once a week, we will go to town to stock up on water and supplies and to meet up with our realtor to check out some properties that are for sale on the island. We want to compare the benefits of living in or near town with living on a boat access only beach. We will update you on that as well as our day to day thrills and challenges. By the end of the two months I suspect we will be over the notion that we want to live on a tropical island, or we will be busy building a tree house!

Clear on Criteria

As I have mentioned in previous blog posts, if you plan on relocating somewhere warm in retirement, it is pertinent that you spend some time not only exploring different areas, but that you spend some time exploring yourself. Knowing what is really important to you can take some time and trial and error. We are certainly not there yet, but some things are definitely coming into focus.

Seeing and experiencing several different places has helped a lot because it has given us a basis of comparison. For example, The west coast of Mexico (Puerto Vallarta, Bucerias, Zihuatenejo) have stunning geography: mountain vistas, crashing waves on rocky outcroppings and the cities and towns are "charming" with cobblestone streets, lengthy malecons, and every home and restaurant has a view. The East Coast of Mexico, in comparison(Cancun, Playa del Carmen) have cleaner streets, white sand and turquoise water (though not this year due to seaweed issue), and the interior colonial cities like Merida are more modern and have better municipal organization and infrastructure. Riviera Nayarit (Bucerias, La Cruz, Punta Mita) is always sunny and never humid in the winter, something we took for granted until we came to Playa del Carmen which ranges from hot and muggy to really hot and muggy. Everyone in Puerta Vallarta and area plays pickle ball but on the east coast people say, "Pickle ball? Never heard of it."

We loved Merida. We were instantly emotionally impacted by its charm, cleanliness, history, architecture, Mayan culture and incredibly friendly people. By the end of our first day there we were ready to buy a house! By day two, we had seen every museum and had walked every street in the historic centre. By day three we were – well – just melting! We started wondering if it was worth it to go out and see more pretty buildings and risk sticking to the pavement! Seriously, it was 40 degrees Celsius and the “hot” season does not come until May! We quickly realized that if we lived in Merida we would end up cocooning for three months a year – hiding from the heat – much like we did in Canada in the winter. Kinda defeats the purpose of going south.

Merida did help me clarify one thing though. While I was there I loved the idea of renovating one of the amazing colonial homes. This reminded me how much I love being productive and having a creative outlet. I always feel best about myself when I have something productive to do. Choosing a permanent location will have to bear that in mind.

Analyzing all this reminds me of investing: financial advisors are always saying “design an investment plan that makes sense for your stage of life, and stick to it. Don’t make emotional decisions.” That is sound advice. Emotionally, we want to live on a white sandy beach on a tropical island where there is complete silence save the sound of crashing waves, starry skies and bio-luminescence. Emotionally we want to live where government does not want to manage every aspect of our lives, and where beer is cheap and mangoes grow in your backyard.

In fact, that is exactly where we are headed next – to Utila, Honduras, where for two months we will live exactly that life. But something tells me there is another side to that life that goes something like this…

The lovely white sandy beach is so full of seaweed and sand fleas we cannot enjoy a nice long walk for risk of being eaten alive, all the while our nostrils are filling with the stench of rotting seaweed. The starry skies which are so stunning and mesmerizing for the first few weeks become old and I am so bored I want to gouge my eyes out. The government does not manage my life – in any way - in fact they don't manage anything in any way...

Only time will tell, and we may be hugely disappointed, or incredibly pleased. Either way, we are looking forward to the experience for what it will teach us about ourselves and our needs. As I alluded to in my last post, Stephane and I are beginning to see that there is no shame in wanting a minimum level of comfort, cleanliness, and safety, and that there is more to creating happiness in ones life than endless fountains of cheap beer and white sand. We may need to compromise some luxuries in this two star retirement, but we are quickly clarifying our criteria.